Phoenix Suns: 5 goals for Devin Booker in 2017-18

5. Develop as a playmaker

Devin Booker needs to grow into a more efficient scorer, but even at age 20, it’s pretty clear this kid knows how to put the ball in the hole. What he’ll need to do to elevate himself from “guy putting up good numbers on bad teams” to “legitimate superstar” is rounding out the other areas of his game.

Eric Bledsoe remains the Suns’ starting point guard, and Tyler Ulis is a terrific distributor off the bench, but one area Booker should look to develop in 2017-18 is his playmaking — especially with Ulis possibly topping off as a backup and Bledsoe being 27 and a potential trade chip.

No one’s saying Booker needs to pull a James Harden and take over the starting point guard job to reach his fullest potential, but the former Kentucky product has already shown flashes of playmaking, usually making the right pass to the open teammate even if he’s not getting a direct assist for it. Booker has also made excellent reads as the ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations, making him a tantalizing option as a secondary playmaker when the first set breaks down.

Last season, Booker averaged 3.4 assists in his 35 minutes per game. Even with Bledsoe healthy and Ulis coming off the bench, aiming for something like 4.5 assists per game in Booker’s third season feels like an encouraging leap that’s still attainable.